Thanks for posting this FP! It's sooo 'typical' Andy and it's why I admire and respect him so much! It even made me warm to Kim a little! Not that I've ever disliked her, I've just never taken any interest, but now I know we have something in common [I just love Jilly Cooper and Polo is my favourite too], I might take more notice! One of my daughters gave me 50 Shades ages ago and I did mean to read it one day, but after what Kim said.......I think I'll give it a miss! I did intend to quote a few of my favourite facts about Andy, but as I went down the list, there were just too many. Brilliant read......so thanks again!

HER youngest son will have the weight of the whole country on his broad shoulders when he steps onto the Wimbledon court on Monday.

And Judy Murray admits she will have to fight the urge to give Andy, 26, a big cuddle – win or lose.

Andy starts his challenge at the All England Club against Benjamin Becker, as he attempts to go one better than last year when he was heartbreakingly beaten in the final by Roger Federer.

Judy will be there to support Andy all the way and she is convinced that family is vital to him.

“I think you have to understand how important the emotional support is.

“You can have all the technical support and physical support in terms of how you look after your body, but the emotional support is crucial, particularly in these bigger events. Having your family and girlfriend around is vital.

“You can talk to your family more about your feelings, than you can to people who are employed by you.

“That side of things is very important, which is why all of the top players have their family around them at the bigger events. I always want to give Andy big cuddles.”

Judy has clearly stopped caring about the criticism of her enthusiastic support for Andy from the players’ box and quite right, too.

This is a woman who is more than just a mum in the stand.

She is one of the busiest women in sport – running the UK women’s FedCup teams game and launching major youth activity drives, such as RBS Set4Sport initiative.

“When we are at the matches, you never know when the camera is on you. And because the matches are shown live, you never have to see yourself.

“But one year, the BBC showed me clapping or shaking my fist in slow motion and somebody sent me a clip of it and it looked absolutely horrendous.

“So at that point, I started thinking about what I was doing, then I had people asking why I was so quiet in the box and that they preferred it when I made more noise.

“I have realised that the best thing is just to wear your heart on your sleeve and be yourself and if the cameras catch you not looking at your best, so be it.”

Judy has enjoyed a lot of highs but endured a lot of lows, too – from the mixed doubles win in 2007 by her other son Jamie, 27, to Andy’s defeat last year, followed by his Olympic Gold triumph a month later.

So does she relish or dread the thought of the next fortnight?

“I always look forward to Wimbledon. Obviously, it’s the biggest tournament in the world and there is always a great buzz around this time.

“So I do look forward to it, yet it’s tense at the same time because it has become more stressful as the expectation has grown.”

The bright lights of London must seem like a million miles from the humble beginnings of the sporting clan.

A keen sportswoman and former tennis pro herself, she got her energetic boys into sport from a young age.

Without the facilities or suitable outdoor weather for proper sporting events for the lads, Judy worked miracles with home-made materials and made sure that from a young age, her kids knew how to enjoy active fun.

She developed indoor games, such as cereal box tennis – hitting a softball over a row of cornflakes boxes for a net on the kitchen floor – and kitchen table ping pong, where they would use biscuit tin lids as paddles.

As a result, Dunblane lads Andy and Jamie both loved sport from early on, with Andy earning a football trial with Rangers as a teenager, while Jamie plays golf off a three handicap.

She hopes to use the same tactics to help encourage the wider population to get active from a younger age.

Judy, 53, is spending the weekend at the Royal Highland Show in Ingliston, where she is taking part in a special event for Set4Sport. She organised the campaign with help from her sons’ sponsors RBS to get parents and kids into playing games and sports around the house using domestic materials, such as tins of beans, string and tin lids.

It was that kind of ingenuity to encourage physical co-ordination and sporting competitiveness that she believes helped her boys get to pro level.

She recalled: “We used to always love games like cereal box table tennis. It’s all about starting off with an idea and making up your own little kind of scoring system.

“Having two boys very close in age, they were always good sparring partners and great competition for each other. They were always trying to find ways to beat each other.

“At the launch of Set4Sport, we set up some cereal box tennis and they were laughing about how they used to play it as kids. Looking back now, you realise that doing a lot of this stuff when they were small really helped with the co-ordination, helped with competitiveness, tactical awareness and understanding of how to read a game.

“Sometimes I was the umpire and sometimes had to come in and break up fights, but it was always fun.”

The rules and instructions for games like cereal box tennis are all detailed on the RBS Set4Sport website. Judy said she is always thrilled when she hears from families who have followed her sports advice, or whose kids have been inspired into sport by her lads.

She said: “In a lot of the school and club visits I did to introduce tennis to little children, I was aware of how many more children were overweight and less co-ordinated than I ever remember kids being. Many didn’t know how to throw and catch or jump properly, for example, and were even awkward at running.”

Andy and Jamie have been firm supporters of Judy’s work. Andy has even made a comic video alongside a troupe of sporty kids dressed up as sporting idols, including John McEnroe, Jessica Ennis and Usain Bolt to help promote the drive.

But from Monday, all the Murray family’s attention will be on SW19.

And while she may be a born competitor, leader and winner herself, Judy is always a mum first. She is just as proud of her son, no matter what the outcome – as shown last summer by the response to Andy’s emotional dignity in the Wimbledon final loss, followed by the delight of his Olympic Gold Medal a month later.

She said: “They were both different situations and I don’t think you can define where you are prouder. I am very proud of him as human being.

“He is very grounded, he works incredibly hard and he is very caring and humble. He deals with his business incredibly well and has done for years now. I am very proud of the way he handles himself and that has nothing to do with how he wins titles or not.”

HER youngest son will have the weight of the whole country on his broad shoulders when he steps onto the Wimbledon court on Monday.

And Judy Murray admits she will have to fight the urge to give Andy, 26, a big cuddle – win or lose.

Andy starts his challenge at the All England Club against Benjamin Becker, as he attempts to go one better than last year when he was heartbreakingly beaten in the final by Roger Federer.

Judy will be there to support Andy all the way and she is convinced that family is vital to him.

“I think you have to understand how important the emotional support is.

“You can have all the technical support and physical support in terms of how you look after your body, but the emotional support is crucial, particularly in these bigger events. Having your family and girlfriend around is vital.

“You can talk to your family more about your feelings, than you can to people who are employed by you.

“That side of things is very important, which is why all of the top players have their family around them at the bigger events. I always want to give Andy big cuddles.”

Judy has clearly stopped caring about the criticism of her enthusiastic support for Andy from the players’ box and quite right, too.

This is a woman who is more than just a mum in the stand.

She is one of the busiest women in sport – running the UK women’s FedCup teams game and launching major youth activity drives, such as RBS Set4Sport initiative.

“When we are at the matches, you never know when the camera is on you. And because the matches are shown live, you never have to see yourself.

“But one year, the BBC showed me clapping or shaking my fist in slow motion and somebody sent me a clip of it and it looked absolutely horrendous.

“So at that point, I started thinking about what I was doing, then I had people asking why I was so quiet in the box and that they preferred it when I made more noise.

“I have realised that the best thing is just to wear your heart on your sleeve and be yourself and if the cameras catch you not looking at your best, so be it.”

Judy has enjoyed a lot of highs but endured a lot of lows, too – from the mixed doubles win in 2007 by her other son Jamie, 27, to Andy’s defeat last year, followed by his Olympic Gold triumph a month later.

So does she relish or dread the thought of the next fortnight?

“I always look forward to Wimbledon. Obviously, it’s the biggest tournament in the world and there is always a great buzz around this time.

“So I do look forward to it, yet it’s tense at the same time because it has become more stressful as the expectation has grown.”

The bright lights of London must seem like a million miles from the humble beginnings of the sporting clan.

A keen sportswoman and former tennis pro herself, she got her energetic boys into sport from a young age.

Without the facilities or suitable outdoor weather for proper sporting events for the lads, Judy worked miracles with home-made materials and made sure that from a young age, her kids knew how to enjoy active fun.

She developed indoor games, such as cereal box tennis – hitting a softball over a row of cornflakes boxes for a net on the kitchen floor – and kitchen table ping pong, where they would use biscuit tin lids as paddles.

As a result, Dunblane lads Andy and Jamie both loved sport from early on, with Andy earning a football trial with Rangers as a teenager, while Jamie plays golf off a three handicap.

She hopes to use the same tactics to help encourage the wider population to get active from a younger age.

Judy, 53, is spending the weekend at the Royal Highland Show in Ingliston, where she is taking part in a special event for Set4Sport. She organised the campaign with help from her sons’ sponsors RBS to get parents and kids into playing games and sports around the house using domestic materials, such as tins of beans, string and tin lids.

It was that kind of ingenuity to encourage physical co-ordination and sporting competitiveness that she believes helped her boys get to pro level.

She recalled: “We used to always love games like cereal box table tennis. It’s all about starting off with an idea and making up your own little kind of scoring system.

“Having two boys very close in age, they were always good sparring partners and great competition for each other. They were always trying to find ways to beat each other.

“At the launch of Set4Sport, we set up some cereal box tennis and they were laughing about how they used to play it as kids. Looking back now, you realise that doing a lot of this stuff when they were small really helped with the co-ordination, helped with competitiveness, tactical awareness and understanding of how to read a game.

“Sometimes I was the umpire and sometimes had to come in and break up fights, but it was always fun.”

The rules and instructions for games like cereal box tennis are all detailed on the RBS Set4Sport website. Judy said she is always thrilled when she hears from families who have followed her sports advice, or whose kids have been inspired into sport by her lads.

She said: “In a lot of the school and club visits I did to introduce tennis to little children, I was aware of how many more children were overweight and less co-ordinated than I ever remember kids being. Many didn’t know how to throw and catch or jump properly, for example, and were even awkward at running.”

Andy and Jamie have been firm supporters of Judy’s work. Andy has even made a comic video alongside a troupe of sporty kids dressed up as sporting idols, including John McEnroe, Jessica Ennis and Usain Bolt to help promote the drive.

But from Monday, all the Murray family’s attention will be on SW19.

And while she may be a born competitor, leader and winner herself, Judy is always a mum first. She is just as proud of her son, no matter what the outcome – as shown last summer by the response to Andy’s emotional dignity in the Wimbledon final loss, followed by the delight of his Olympic Gold Medal a month later.

She said: “They were both different situations and I don’t think you can define where you are prouder. I am very proud of him as human being.

“He is very grounded, he works incredibly hard and he is very caring and humble. He deals with his business incredibly well and has done for years now. I am very proud of the way he handles himself and that has nothing to do with how he wins titles or not.”

I like Judy and have a lot of respect for her. I know how tense I can get during Andy's matches, but I can only imagine what it must be like for her! I'm glad she's there for Andy! It's certainly important to him and she sticks it out, even though she must feel like running away at times! Thanks for posting this Milly!

US Open champion, Olympic gold medallist and last year’s Wimbledon runner-up Andy Murray may have the weight of a nation on his shoulders, but that isn’t keeping the hometown hero from expressing confidence about the opportunity for success at the All England Club this year.

For Murray, the No. 2 seed, the chance to compete at the Championships for another Fortnight may have its pressure-filled moments, but he also discussed his excitement, especially in light of his breakthrough US Open victory and Olympic gold medal. “The mindset is similar in that, you know, I come in wanting to try and win the event,” he said. “I’ve prepared as best as I could. I think in some ways, I feel that I’m putting less pressure on myself.”

In fact, he cited the two wins as a transformative experience for his career. “A combination of that [Wimbledon] final and the way I played in it, and also having the Olympics to look forward to,” he said, “I think that was the period that changed me, you know, changed my mindset a bit.”

While the expectations linger at Wimbledon and may be even stronger than before given the maiden major victory, Murray talked about his personal drive to succeed on the grass of the All England Club. “This tournament obviously means a lot to me. That was pretty obvious after the final last year,” said Murray, alluding to the emotional loss at the hands of 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and his choked up on-court speech after the four-set loss.

He added, “I just think, because of what’s happened since then that if I can manage to get myself in the latter stages of the tournament I’d be better equipped to deal with the pressures that go with that.”

But while he’s had to “deal” with such pressures, Murray’s also soaked up – and enjoyed – the experience of competing. Looking back to his career of play at the All England Club, he reminisced, “When I played here as a senior for the first time, I mean, I actually almost wasn’t nervous. I was so excited to really play here.”

Murray continued that when he first competed at Wimbledon “there was no pressure. There was no expectation at all.”

Now, however, it’s a little different. “There’s a lot more pressure and a lot more expectation, a lot more nerves.” He added, “I think for all British players, yeah, it’s a huge part of their career.”

But Murray also considers his time at Wimbledon to include some of the highlights of his career, having reached the semi-finals or better since 2009. “I’ve always enjoyed playing here,” he said. “I’ve played some of my best tennis here over the course of my career.”

Regardless, said Murray, hailed as the greatest chance to bring home another Wimbledon singles crown for Great Britain since Fred Perry in 1936, “There’s still the excitement.”

Murray faces Benjamin Becker of Germany to begin his 2013 campaign. Looming ahead in his section of the draw? Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to put myself in a position where [their placement in the draw] becomes relevant,” said Murray, “because that would mean getting to the semi-finals.”

There are two bottles of mineral water, one sparkling, the other still, lined up on the table in front of Andy Murray as we settle down to talk in the excruciatingly posh Hurlingham Club, on the banks of the Thames near Fulham, after his final workout before Wimbledon. A small wager with a colleague on which water Murray will choose is down.He chooses still. I should have known: athletes do not drink fizzy water usually because it interferes with digestion – and Murray is as meticulous about these seemingly small details as he is about the placement of a cross-court forehand at match point. Besides, he has brought his own special mixture. Of course he has.If this conveys the impression the Scot is a machine it is misleading. As much as he has honed his body into premium shape through tortuous gym-based sacrifice over several winters, what he has also done since we first saw him at Wimbledon as a raw teenager, with nary a bicep worth the name, is grow as a human being. In a world where professional athletes can struggle with celebrity Murray seems as immune to the burden as anyone who springs to mind.If the cards fall kindly for him in the coming fortnight, starting with his opening match against Benjamin Becker on Monday, he knows that the expectations of a nation will reach an even higher pitch than they did 12 months ago, in two contrasting yet equally significant finals on these lawns: his loss in the Wimbledon final to Roger Federer and his victory over him in the Olympics.Well-founded suspicions that such emotional tidal waves would invariably drown him in the past have faded. He might cry, but he'll get the job done first. He has learned to harness pressure and fear. This keenest of boxing fans knows the line Mike Tyson took from his training sage Cus D'Amato: fire can burn your house down or keep you warm."All of the guys I work with," Murray says between sips of his private potion, "before I play a big match there are going to be nerves there. I'm sure even Ivan [Lendl] gets nervous and he has been in those positions as a player and now as a coach. I don't mind that. It shows everyone cares. There will be times, I'm sure, we can look back on and enjoy them when I've finished playing, but it is stressful when you are preparing for a Slam final. It's not easy." Nor should it be. Players have a term for coping with it: staying in the moment. "Nerves affect everyone in different ways," he says."I've always felt that when I've been nervous my shot selection is pretty good. I don't necessarily feel it in my head, I don't start rushing or panicking or anything like that. I sometimes feel it in my legs."So, if the commentators rush to judgment when Murray tugs at his thigh after a poor or missed shot, perhaps we will now realise he is just tinkering with his psychic machine, looking for comfort.He has the benefit in this tournament of living no more than half an hour from his workplace, a gentle drive up from Oxshott in Surrey in the first car he ever owned, a Volkswagen Polo. He is not a limousine man. He will relax at home with his girlfriend, Kim, his mother, Judy, and the dogs: normality before the insanity."I always sleep well before big matches, that's not a problem," he says. You're just thinking about the playing the match, and you also think about all the work and effort you have put in to get into that position, that you want to go out there and give a good account of yourself, and sometimes that's where nerves come from."For solace he retreats to the place anyone with the option would choose: at home with his family. After losing the Wimbledon final Murray went back to Oxshott, closed the door to the world and was comforted by those he trusts the most. "They knew how upset I was but they don't want to baby you – and you may be feeling quite sensitive. You get on the defensive right away, and they say, 'You did great', or whatever. Tough to explain. But they are very supportive, and they picked me up ... We watched TV, ordered a couple pizzas, and stayed up quite late."Pizza: it will do it every time. Or a hug from a schoolboy, the one who ran through the crowd to hug Murray and his Olympic gold medal. "At the time you don't think too much of it. But people were coming up to me and saying how great that was. The little kid just seemed so happy. His dad didn't know where he'd gone, lost him, he'd snuck up. It was nice.""Nice" is fine, but what about hostility on court, the X-factor that can mean the difference between winning and losing? Ernests Gulbis suggested in Paris last month that the leading players were lost in a mutual admiration pact of meaningless words. Federer, Mr Nice, surprisingly, would welcome a bit of edge – and there was plenty of it between him and Murray in the semi-final in Melbourne this year, when they snarled across the net at each other in the fourth set. Federer says he can't remember what it was about – but he does remember winning the set."It would be interesting," Federer said, "a different take, a different vibe. We do get along very well so it's harder to be rougher on the guys, because, at the end, as we saw in Australia, you win or lose – and in my case I lost – and then I went to the press and I see Andy and I say, 'All the best, I hope you win the final.' It's not like 'Ooh, I don't want to see you ever again.' Or, like, you just totally avoid the guy."They will avoid each other here at least until the semi-finals. And then it will be war again but, as Federer describes it, "civilised" conflict. While there is much respect between them, there is a sense that Murray is gaining the upper hand. Federer said it had always been tough playing Murray."The last 18 months, two years," Murray says, "I've started to be a bit more aggressive and understand what shots to play at the right times of matches and the sort of tennis I need to play to beat the top players at the big events. Given the situation I had a few weeks ago with the [back] injury I've prepared pretty much as best I could and given myself the best opportunity to do well. I spend a lot of time [at Wimbledon]. I know a lot of the people. I feel comfortable in the surroundings. It feels like a home court to me."With that he takes a final sip on his bottle of cloudy water and lopes away like a well-prepared lion for battle at a place he finally can call home.

Andy Murray looked the calmest man in Wimbledon yesterday, clean shaven in a pristine white T-shirt and with trimmed hair.The storm, he hopes, will be created by the patriotism of the crowd when he steps on court for the first time tomorrow.The last time Murray appeared at the All England Club, the crowd were delirious from an Olympic fever at its most contagious.

Happier man: Andy Murray is better able to cope with the pressure this yearFor the first time in a decade, Roger Federer, who three weeks before had been acclaimed for winning his seventh Wimbledon title at the expense of Murray, heard voices raised against him on the Centre Court where he has been adored.'From my position down at ground level on Centre Court for the Olympic final, Roger actually looked insignificant,' said Mats Wilander, now a respected broadcaster, who won seven major titles in a career spent in competition with Murray's coach, Ivan Lendl.'I felt exactly the same when I played – and lost – the French Open final against Frenchman Yannick Noah 30 years ago.'Murray hopes the crowd will be just as demonstrative in support of him in his quest to become the first Briton to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry 77 years ago, a mission that begins against German Benjamin Becker tomorrow.'In all sports, when you play with the crowd behind you it makes a huge difference,' said Murray last night.

Relaxed: Murray (right) with coach Ivan Lendl at Wimbledon'Not just for you but it can affect the guy you are playing against. They can feel a bit intimidated. If you can get into the lead, it can be for hard for them to come back.'At 26, Murray is returning to the greatest tournament in the world with a wealth of experience gained since he played in the Wimbledon final 12 months ago.As well as an Olympic gold medal, Murray is now also the owner of the US Open championship.Yesterday, Novak Djokovic, the man Murray defeated in New York, said: 'He definitely knows what it takes to play on a big stage. I think he handles the pressure well.'For many, Lendl deserved a significant amount of credit for Murray being able to return to business so effectively after the despair of losing in last year's final, when he broke down in tears at the presentation ceremony.Too often he had allowed the mental wounds inflicted on him by defeat in a major final to fester through the changing seasons.'In the past when I lost a Grand Slam final, it had taken me months to get over it,' admitted Murray.'But after Wimbledon, I felt good when I got back on the practice court five, or six, days later.'

Tears and fears: Andy Murray was inconsolable after losing in last year's final last year's final (right). If he gets that far this year, he will probably be facing world No1, Novak Djokovic (left)Murray understands that what he achieved at the All England Club and in the Olympics will place him under greater scrutiny than ever over the next fortnight.'There's a lot more pressure, a lot more expectation, and a lot more nerves,' he confessed. 'But there's still the excitement, too.'He will rely on the closeness of his entourage, the composure of his girlfriend, Kim Sears, and the down-to-earth presence of his mother, Judy, to deflect unnecessary distractions.In the afterglow of his finest hour in New York nine months ago, Murray let Kim and Judy know how much he appreciated them for their unconditional support at the end of a summer that had started so tearfully.Only they really know the depth of heartache he felt the night he returned home empty-handed and red-eyed from last summer's Wimbledon final.'We ordered a couple of pizzas, very late,' recalled Murray.The television went on but Murray cannot remember what he watched. Melancholy and anger, disappointment and despair had numbed his senses.

Cheerleader: Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears will be relied uponWimbledon 2013: At a glanceTV & RadioBBC1 and BBC2 live coverage runs from 12pm-8.0pm on most days and there is a daily, one-hour highlights show on BBC2 at 8.0pm.There are also a choice of matches online and via the red button, with BBC Radio 5Live and 5Live Sports Extra also covering the tournament. Today at Wimbledon, BBC2, 8.0-9.0pmThe WeatherMonday: After a cloudy start, it should turn sunny and be pleasantly warm despite a westerly windTuesday: Warm and sunny all day, almost no wind and an expected high of 19 degreesRest of the week: Getting increasingly warmer, with temperatures up to 25 degrees by SaturdayEarlier, a TV audience of millions had felt a bond of sympathy with him when he broke down in tears on Centre Court after he had finished a gallant runner-up to Federer, the greatest player who has ever graced Wimbledon.Murray recalled last week how he had warned Federer during the presentation ceremony that he was likely to have an emotional meltdown.'Before I went up to speak I said to Roger, "I'm sorry, but I'm not in a good place here." Everything boiled over on the court. I'd rather that had happened in the locker room afterwards but it didn't.'Murray's vulnerability showed an unseen side of his personality. 'I felt at the Olympics that people probably saw a different side of me,' he said.'Obviously, when I am playing I am extremely focused, not laughing and joking around. But after Wimbledon, I think people saw how hard I was trying and what it meant to me. I was giving everything.'But the real pain, he revealed, kicked in once he was in the privacy of his own home in Surrey.'The guys I work with see all of the effort I've put in, but they don't always see what it's like when I go home,' said Murray.

Golden boy: Murray was elated after winning the Men's Singles gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games'They don't see how much that Wimbledon final hurt me; or how long it took to get over that. I was really upset that evening and for two or three days afterwards.'Of course, tennis is a moveable feast; cities and continents are visited in a blur.You play, you win and you return to a hotel room; you lose, and you pack and head for the nearest airport.Except for this fortnight, when Murray has the luxury of living at home with Kim, and his mother is always welcome to stay.He has recovered from the back injury that kept him out of the recent French Open, and modified his training to look after his health.He is calmly awaiting the storm to break at his eighth Wimbledon, so rich in promise.'I feel comfortable in the surroundings now, and I know a lot of the people there,' said Murray. 'It feels like a home court.'

What wonderful illuminating articles and great to see that Andy is finally getting the kind of publicity he deserves! I'm crying.......at 6.30 in the morning! Sharing these must have taken you ages! Thank you Milly!

Yes, thanks Milly,nice catching up on missed articles here in Corfu...it's nice catching up after breakfast in air-conditioned surroundings whilst the better half is straight out in the sun.....just about to join her ........it's hell but someone's gotta do it.....keep up the good work.